


I've got you, under my skin

by anusha



Series: Blame it on Sinatra, baby [2]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 1960s, Alternate Universe - 1960s, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Forbidden Love, Interracial Relationship, Jazz - Freeform, Jazz Age, Period-Typical Racism, Police Brutality, Protests, Racism, Racist Language, Romance, Romantic Angst, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Smut, Star-crossed, Tragic Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-13 12:02:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15364239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anusha/pseuds/anusha
Summary: I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.Martin Luther King, Jr.With that, Sam Wilson believed. He believed that love was superior to any boundary set by man. He believed for when love was pure and true, it would vanquish the world of its inhuman ways. He believed that someday Natasha's family will accept their love, because of how selfless his love to her was.And he was willing to sacrifice every thing that he owned, if it meant being able to love unconditionally.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please be noted of the high amounts of racism in this plot. I do not agree with racism, and would never want anyone to go through it, especially after knowing what it feels like. Thus, I apologise before I write another word.

"I thought you were different, I thought you loved me, Natasha."

"I do, I love you, Sam, please you're being irrational. Just because..."

I couldn't concentrate on what she said after that. I don't understand why I just seem to believe her every single time that she says she loves me. Maybe it's her eyes, how they stare deep into my soul, telling me that they mean every single word that those beautiful lips of hers utters, even if its all made up.

I should have known better, than to trust a white woman. At least, that's what they were all telling me.

"I'm sorry, Nat."

"Sam, please, listen to me, I love you, please, please don't go." she begged as she pulled my hand, and with a heavy heart, I pushed her soft hands away, like the brute that those people have assumed I was.

This time, there were tears.

And I have never seen her crying before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also do not agree with both police brutality and insults towards the police themselves. This is merely a perspective in which I believe a person in Sam's shoes would have had.

I picked up the banner that I was holding once again before nudging the slightly taller white man in front of me. He was one of those people who did not like our protests one bit, I could tell from the look that he flashed after ‘accidently’ knocking me over.

“What’s your problem, nigger ?” he raised his voice and hunched over to somewhat intimidate me.

I wanted to fight back, maybe say a few harsh words to remind him that he picked on the wrong guy, but Steve held me back.

Steve told me to calm down, and that we’ll live to fight another day. I was trying to push through, but Steve held me tight. He didn’t want us to get into trouble. He’s got this whole idea of nonviolent protests up in his head. He always reminded us that we could never fight fire with fire, and that if we wanted to make a statement, we had to do it like the civilised people that we were.

“You better put that dog in a leash, before he bites anyone.”

This time, I pushed out of Steve with all of my might, pining the older man underneath me, only to aim a punch to his face.

“Some nerve you got there, huh, slave,” he mocked me once again. It was as if he somehow knew that I would be further infuriated with those sort of derogatory remarks.

And without thinking much, I punched him as hard as I could. And before I knew it, I had already marked his face with another two blows.

He smiled, before spitting some blood onto my face.

“Alright, stand back. Stand back !”

A policeman had pulled me up, and held me roughly against one of the pillars. From the glimpse of my left eye, I could see another police officer picking the man I had punched just now and brought him away from my view.

“Hey! Watch it.” I said as I felt my hands were handcuffed. He was rough, just like how the other police officers were, when they had brought me to the precinct. He gave me a shove whenever I walked slowly, and asked me to look ahead if I turned behind to talk. I could hear Steve pleading the officer to let me go, that it wasn’t my fault and I was only defending myself.

“Look, we gotta take him in. He hit another man.”

Steve took one last look at me before promising to get me out as soon as possible. I just laughed back at him, and told him not to worry about me and that I knew how to take care of myself.

It wasn’t like I was afraid of them stations or those pigs.

~

The cell was cold as usual, with that usual musty smell of mould and piss. Usually when I was held in a cell, I would lie on the bench, thinking about my mama back home, and how worried she would have been. She hated it whenever I was arrested.

And she had a pretty damn good reason to worry. More often than not, I have felt the wrath of those stupid pigs when I did not tell them about our future protests during an interrogation session or when I threw some playground insults at their faces.

But today it was different than the usual hustle and bustle of a downtown New York precinct. Most of the officers were not in, and it intrigued me.

I watched as the uniformed men walked in and out, mostly leaving after receiving a frantic call.

~

It was around midnight when I saw her. Like a ballet dancer she walked in, graceful and her head held high. I could hear some of the other male officers asking her to answer the calls and notify them on radio if there was an emergency.

There were only a small number of policewomen or coloured policemen. One was considered weak, and the other was usually linked to criminal activities. I have personally never seen a woman dressed fully in those navy blue uniforms. I had only seen pictures of them on newspapers where their hair would be all tied up in a bun and a hat that would be carefully placed over their heads.

She looked over the precinct and when she saw that I was the only one held, she gave a suppressed smile and a nod.

That was the first time I had been given respect as a human being in the precinct, by a police officer that too.

And that too was the first time that a white woman looked at me directly without trying to look away in disgust or fear.

Upon facing such a rarity, I decided to place my curiosity to a test.

“What’s going on tonight?” I shouted from behind the solid bars. My hands were holding the cold metal rods while my head was placed strategically between them, aiming for the best view I could have of her. I wanted to know if she was truly as decent as she appeared to be.

It took a while before I actually heard a reply. “There’s another gathering tonight.” She didn’t look at me as she answered. Her face was glued to her desk and her hands were working frantically on the paperwork.

I knew of protests where policemen were called in if there was any trouble but looking at the emptiness of the precinct I knew there was something larger at play. “What kind of gathering?”

“You’re rather chatty for a student.”

“Oh so you’ve heard.”

“Not exactly.”

I looked at her carefully and I knew I saw a smile forming across her face. She stopped writing and looked away from her desk, straight into the wall that was in front of her.

“How did you know I was a student, then ?”

“You’re wearing a suit and tie. You’re far too young to be involved in politics and too well dressed to be just a henchmen. And I don’t ever remember any goons wearing spectacles.”

“Oh so you’re not just a pretty face.”

She stood up abruptly, and I wondered if I should not have said that. She then proceeded to walk towards where I was detained. She didn’t come too close, but she was standing at a distance where we both could see each other clearly.

“I can also tell that you don’t actually think before you talk.”

“From where I come, it’s called wearing your heart on your sleeve.”

“And back in my place, we call it stupidity. “

I took a careful look at her, this time, while I stood confidently, hands crossed on my chest. I took a good look at her from top to bottom, while mustering up the sternest look that I could put on. I saw a small wisp of red hair by the side of her right cheek. It must have slipped off her bun, and had gone unnoticed by her.

“You’re not afraid of me ?”

She looked confused for a second.

When she asked me why would she ever be afraid of me, I told her about how white women were always afraid of my brothers and I.

“Well, I’m not scared of anybody. And I’m certainly not afraid of you. You’re harmless.”

This time, I squinted my eyes, and gave a weak smile. “Harmless, huh?”

I asked for her name and she replied that it was for me to find out. She walked back to her desk when there was a ring. She started to make other phone calls, and from what I could tell, they were notifications to police dispatchers.

She didn’t talk to me after that, and neither did I try to make any conversation with her. Or rather, there wasn’t much of an opportunity left for me to get to know her better, especially not after Steve got me out.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

“You know Sam, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you get yourself arrested on purpose because you want to meet me.”

I looked back at her in awe. She was right. It was the second time I got myself arrested this week; one for insulting a police officer and another for scribbling on the walls of the precinct. I knew they wouldn’t just let me go like that for free, and it was the best I could do without actually getting into real trouble.

Steve would be worried sick if he knew that I had gotten myself in these kind of shenanigans. Well that, and the fact that he’d try to bail me out. He was always a sucker for doing the right thing and helping a brother out. But I knew I had to keep him out of it if I were to even get a chance of meeting her again.

For starters, I didn’t know her schedule and I couldn’t just walk into the precinct just like that. Trust me, I tried that once and I all I got were dirty stares.

“Well then, you’re definitely thinking too highly of yourself, Officer Romanoff.”

She looked back at me in surprise, only to form a smile after that. “How did you find out?”

“A magician will never reveal his secret.”

“Even over a cup of coffee?”

This time it was my turn to feel surprised. I had never met a woman who asked a man out. But when I gave it a further thought, I wasn’t really sure if I had heard her right. And when I asked her to repeat what she had said, because a man can never be too sure about this kind of things, she looked at me coyly, only to say “Oh, you heard me correct.”

I closed my eyes and thanked my lucky stars. “Maybe he will. Say, if this magician wants to know what time you finish duty today or you know, whenever you’re free?”

“Tell him, to pick her up at 6, tomorrow, outside the station.” she said confidently.

“Well, I’m sure he’ll be there.”

~

“Godammit Sam, were you arrested again?” Rhodey asked me as I untied my shoes. His hands were around his hips and he looked at me with a look of annoyance.

“Maybe. Besides, you don’t have to worry about anything, it’s a good thing.”

“How is going to the cop house a good thing, unless you’re a cop. Then it’s your job to hang out there, and that too outside the bars, Sam.”

I rolled my eyes and just walked inside after that. I could smell good stuff from the kitchen, a stark notice that big ma had been cooking.

I walked up from behind and held my hands over her eyes, and without even asking her to guess who I was, she said _“Samuel.”_

When I did let go of my hands, she looked at me and smiled. Rhodey caught up with us in the kitchen eventually, grumbling about me constantly getting arrested.

I didn’t pay much attention as I stuffed myself with some cookies that Big ma had kept in jars.

“Oh James, quit giving him a had time, we’ll talk about it later. My poor baby’s been starving the whole day.” I made fun of Rhodey when she turned away and Rhodey just sighed.

He was a good student, studied really hard and promised to look after the family. Big ma took us all in, me, Rhodey and T when we were kids. Rhodey was the first. Big ma took me in when I was 10 and T when he was 12.

None of us knew or remember much about our parents but it didn’t matter anyway. Ma took care of us and taught us things that we had to know as young men.

We usually only had dinner after when T comes home. Now that’s a kid who looks up to Rhodey like he was his mentor.

~

I always sat next to Ma when it was time for dinner. We held hands as we said grace, making somewhat a circle around a square table. And it was my turn to say grace today.

_Thank you Lord,_

_for everything we have,_

_even if its an annoying older brother,_

_because he eats the least._

_ Amen. _

I could feel the grip that Rhodey held on my right hand intensify. He was a more of a traditional, especially when it came to being thankful. T was chuckling while Ma was just smiling.

She was very particular about sitting down together as a family and spending time with each other. With Rhodey studying during the day and working tables at night, that was the most that we see of him. I always wondered what he was up to when he graduates out of MIT in two months time. T was still in school and I’m pretty sure that he’ll take after Rhodey. If Rhodey was into robotics, T never took his eyes off politics and literature.

Sometimes I do feel that I’m not as good as him though. I don’t really think studying is my forte, but if you asked me to shoot some hoops or if I were to run a marathon, I knew I’d beat those two without batting an eye.

_Thank God for sport scholarships_.

I was still halfway with my food when Rhodey was done. “I have something to tell everyone here.”

I looked at him, and from the corner of my eyes I could see that both T and Big Ma were also listening attentively to him.

“I got selected,” he paused.

I didn’t know what Rhodey was talking about. But when Ma accidently dropped her plate spilling all the food left on her plate onto the floor, I knew she was shocked, and rather displeased about it.

“You know how much I dislike the Army, James.”

“I know. I know. I j-just..”

“Enough.” She said with a rather stern voice. Rhodey held his head low. Ma got off the chair and started cleaning the mess that was splattered on the floor.

Even when both me and T were done, Rhodey was still seated at the kitchen table. T was spying on him from the wall before I asked him to move away.

And when Ma did sit down and talked to him, I did not hear much. I just heard how Rhodey tried comforting Ma when she said that she didn’t want to lose him too.

~

“So what was that all about back there, platypus?”

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. It’s reserved for Tony. Wait, did he put you up to this?”

“I applied to join the airforce, and I have received a conditional offer for a ranked officer once I graduate.”

“And why is ma so upset about it?”

Rhodey sighed. “Grandda used to work for the Army I think. And he was MIA. Ma never did took it well.”

“Were you here when he went missing?”

“Yeah.”

It was after a short silence when I asked him if he was going to accept the offer.

“Honestly, Sam, I have no idea. But if I do, will you promise me to take care of ma and T? And try to control that temper of yours, I’d hate to see Ma crying for you in the prison. Be a good example to T.”

“Alright, alright. Quit the lecture.”

Rhodey slapped my head gently.“By the way, what were you in prison for?”

“It’s a long story.”

He asked me if it had anything to do with the protests that Steve and I had took part in school.

“Yes and no.” I replied. Rhodey took a good look at me again. “Does it involve a woman?” I gave out a small chuckle. And just as Rhodey was about to probe me for more questions, Ma had called out for him. He gave me some sort of sign, letting me know that this conversation was not over yet.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok just to explain a some stuff if things didn't really add up back there. T stands for T'Challa and Rhodey is well James Rhodes. so in short, Big Ma is like their grandma who took these homeless little boys as they were growing up, to put a roof over their head.


End file.
